Özak workers who were pressured for being members of DISK Tekstil took action

Cengiz Anıl BÖLÜKBAŞ
Urfa

Özak workers, who left Öz-İplik İş and became a member of DİSK-Tekstil, acted against the pressures of the factory manager, chiefs and supervisors to resign from DİSK-Tekstil. In the action, the banners of  "Union will come to Özak Tekstil, slavery ends", "End the pressure, end threats in Özak Tekstil", "We do not want patron-supported union, but the real union", with the slogans alongside  "Job, Bread, Freedom", "The unity of the workers will beat the capital", "We will get our right to have trade union, we will get it." The gendarme took intense security measures in front of the factory.

Özak Tekstil worker İsmail Budak, who took the first word in the action, stated that the management pressured and threatened DİSK members and said, "If you do not go to Öz-İplik, we will send you from work, we will send you on leave." We told them to do it fairly because of the pandemic process. But we saw that there is no such thing as fairness, no justice in Özak Textile management. We will come here to defend our right to the fullest. We will not bow to four of our friends forcibly getting permission."

After Budak, DİSK Tekstil Gaziantep Regional Representative Mehmet Türkmen took the floor. Turkmen said that the reason why they are here is to protest that the factory management does not recognise the law and see itself above the law and added "Every worker working in this country has the right to join the union. Nobody can interfere with the union membership or resignation of a worker. We are addressing you Özak managers: If you continue to commit this crime, we will not let you go until you pay the price before the law."

Turkmen emphasized that factory managers don’t want a union who acts with the will of workers, makes the problems of workers its own problem and said the following words: "We are the workers' union and we will enter this factory not because you want it, but the workers want it. Workers were organised in our union because, in this factory, the previous union did not defend and represent them; even signed an unannounced contract. Since then, pressures and threats have not been missing. Those who try to resign the workers, if you love the old yellow union, you go and become a member. "

Turkmen, who said they have filed criminal charges against the factory management, stated that if the Özak management continues to commit crimes, they will always be in front of this factory. Turkmen expressed that they are a real labour union and will fight against injustice towards a single member, "We will not allow them to break this unity under DISK-Tekstil. No matter what they do: threats, oppression, bribes. Özak Tekstil workers will not stop organising in DISK-Tekstil for their jobs, breads and rights. DISK-Tekstil will enter this factory, slavery will end in this factory. One-third of the factory is on leave, but it's such a coincidence that all those who are on leave are members of DISK-Tekstil. We want everyone to work. We want no one to discriminate. We have one request; the workers must decide the union they will join. As of today, if a single member is sent on leave, if the discrimination does not end, if the pressures continue, not just a briefing but if necessary, we will start resistance indefinitely in front of this factory” he said.